Apple today released the latest beta for its upcoming iOS 6 mobile operating system. Although iOS 6 doesn’t make any huge leaps forward visually or productivity wise, the operating system has caught quite a bit of attention for what it lacks.

IOS 6 marks the first release of the operating system that doesn’t come preloaded with Google Maps. Instead, Apple kicked Google to the curb and included its own mapping service (which is actually not as functionally complete as Google Maps on many fronts).

Next, Apple passive aggressively removed the name “Google” from the search field in Safari, which signified that Google was powering search results (iOS also includes search options for Bing and Yahoo).

Now, Apple has taken the next step in ridding itself of Google’s “hooks” into iOS. In iOS 6 Beta 4, Apple has removed the YouTube app from the Springboard. The YouTube app has been featured on iOS ever since the iPhone’s introduction in 2007.

According to The Verge, this is what Apple has to say on the matter:

Our license to include the YouTube app in iOS has ended, customers can use YouTube in the Safari browser and Google is working on a new YouTube app to be on the App Store.

At least iOS users can rest assured that YouTube will continue to function normally through Safari. In addition, Google is working on a standalone Maps app that will be available in the App Store and should reintroduce the features that Apple stripped from its own mapping app with iOS 6.

said that I suspected. I stand corrected. Based on apples past behavior it was a valid assumption. and I don't hate apple, I'm glad for the inputs but I am sick and tired of hearing about the lawsuits and their petty asinine attitude about everything.

Its not "personal" but I do love smartphones and I do hate the fact that Apple is trying to stifle competition with its unwarranted lawsuits and petty hypocritical allegations. It holds all smartphone users back.

If you cant see why that bothers so many people, then you are probably a hopeless Apple fanboy.

corduroygt, with iOS modification, Google Maps has navigation. Apple wouldn't license the voice API to Google presumably because Apple was reserving it for use with Siri.

In reality, Apple didn't want Google to steal the "secrets" of Siri, but you'd have to ride the short bus to think Siri is even worth stealing...

It's been obvious for years that Apple doesn't want to be competitive and simply wants to strongarm the industry. They would prefer all major applications be strictly Apple applications, and the peon developers can make their pennies.